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We spoke to Dana about how authors can better their PR campaigns, which platforms service which authors, and what she’ll be speaking on at DBW.

What’s the biggest mistake authors make when it comes to their PR efforts?

Not having a plan! Too many authors just start doing things—social media, blog tours, etc.—because they see other authors doing it. They’re not strategic, and often, don’t have a clear understanding of their goals. At the beginning of any PR campaign, authors should understand their goals, create a plan for achieving those goals, and then stick to it.

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Self-Publishing Your NaNoWriMo Book? Don’t Miss These Steps! (BookBub)
If you finished National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) with a 50K-word draft, congratulations! Only 12 percent of NaNoWriMo participants finished last year, so getting this far is a huge accomplishment. If you decide to self-publish your work rather than seek traditional publication, there’s one important thing to remember: Your NaNoWriMo book is most likely not ready for readers today.

11 Questions to Boost Your Video Content Marketing (BookMachine)
In content marketing, we want to create value. The magic happens when we start to publish pieces of content that do more than simply propagate our sales. In the end, it is about generating loyal fans who come back to what we create. These fans are a great source of inspiration for more content and they will also help to spread the word.

Is Your Website Passive? Make It Interactive (The Verbs)
The grand rule of marketing for authors is to build a relationship with your readers. But how can you build a relationship when you don’t know who’s buying your book? Amazon and Apple don’t disclose their customers’ contact information to authors, and neither do traditional bookstores. But authors can get to know their readers by shifting their websites from passive to active.

Scholastic Rolls Out StoryPlay Line (PW)
“A fun way to read together!” is the tag line for a new series from Scholastic’s Cartwheel Books, debuting in January with four titles. Aimed at children ages 3–5, StoryPlay books integrate questions and prompts within stories to further engage kids and the adults who are reading to, or with, them. Each storybook wraps up with activities tailored to the tale, with themes that include drawing, counting, search-and-find, riddles, and imaginative play.

CCC Announces Enhancements to RightFind XML for Mining (DBW)
Copyright Clearance Center announced that it has made enhancements to its cloud-based RightFind XML for Mining software, which allows organizations using text mining to glean important insights from vast amounts of scientific, technical and medical (STM) content.

About Daniel Berkowitz

Daniel Berkowitz is senior editor of Digital Book World, where he oversees DBW's content and programming. Before joining DBW in July 2015, Daniel held several positions, including as a part of the editorial team at Grand Central Publishing. Daniel is a graduate of Vassar College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. His writing has been featured in Salon, AV Club and Time Out New York. He lives and works in New York City. You can follow him on Twitter at @DanJBerkowitz.

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